Vibratory safety razor

ABSTRACT

A SAFETY RAZOR INCLUDING A HEAD PORTION IN WHICH THERE IS MOUNTED CUTTING MEANS AND A HANDLE PORTION IN WHICH THERE IS MOUNTED AN ELECTRIC MOTOR, A SHAFT ROTATABLE BY THE MOTOR, AND A WEIGHT ECCENTRICALLY MOUNTED ON THE FREE END OF THE SHAFT, ROTATION OF THE WEIGHT OPERATING TO CAUSE VIBRATION OF THE HEAT PORTION OF THE RAZOR.

Oct. 12, 1971 B. H. ALEXANDER ET AL VIBRATORY SAFETY RAZOR Filed Aug.:20, 1969 l1\'\'l`/\"l()!\'.\' BEN H. ALEXANDER JOSEPH E. KOEHLER ROGERL, PERRY United States 3,611,568 Patented ct. 1, 1971 U.S. Cl. 30-45 3Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A safety razor including a headportion in which there is mounted cutting means and a handle portion inwhich there is mounted an electric motor, a shaft rotatable by themotor, and a weight eccentrically mounted on the free end of the shaft,rotation of the weight operating to cause vibration of the head portionof the razor.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention This inventionrelates to safety razors and is directed more particularly to a safetyrazor having means for vibrating the head portion thereof.

Description of the prior art In the use of safety razors, it has beenfound to be advantageous for the razor blade to be moved generallylengthwise, or in directions having 4vectors lengthwise, of its edgewhereby to exercise a slicing motion. Several devices have been providedwhich include means for moving a razor blade longitudinally within arazor, or for moving razor guard members relative to a stationary blade.Such razors have proven to be rather complex in construction andoperation and generally expensive to manufacture. Accordingly, publicacceptance of the prior art devices has not been unrestrained.

Summary of the invention It is an object of the present invention toprovide a safety razor having relatively simple and inexpensive meansfor causing the razor blade to exercise a slicing motion while the razoris in use.

With the above and other objects in View, as will hereinafter appear, afeature of the present invention is the provision of a safety razorcomprising a head portion having cutting means mounted therein, and ahandle portion having an electric motor mounted therein. A rotatableshaft is connected to the motor and extends therefrom. A weight iseccentrically mounted on the free end of the shaft and rotatable by theshaft, the weight being disposed proximate to the head portion of therazor, whereby upon rotation of the shaft and weight, the head portionis caused to vibrate and etfect a slicing motion of the cutting means.

The above and other features of the invention, including various noveldetails of construction and combinations of parts, will now be moreparticularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings andpointed out in the claims. It will be understood that the particulardevice embodying the invention is shown by Way of illustration only andnot as a limitation of the invention. The principles and features ofthis invention may be employed in various and numerous embodimentsWithout departing from the scope of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Reference is made to the accompanyingdrawings in which there is shown an illustrative embodiment of theinvention from which its novel features and advantages will be apparent.

FIG. 1 is a. front elevational view in part broken away, showing oneform of safety razor illustrative of an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the razor shown in FIG. l;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line III- III of FIG. 2, and

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the electrical circuit of therazor.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to FIGS. l and 2, itwill be seen that the illustrative safety razor includes a head portion2 in which is disposed razor blade means 4, and a handle portion t6which includes a vibration inducing means to be described below.

Disposed in the handle portion 6 is a battery 8i and an electric motor10. Extending from the motor t10 in the direction of the head portion 2of the razor is a rotatable shaft 12 on the free end of which isdisposed a weight 14. The weight 14 is mounted eccentrically on theshaft 12, i.e. the center of gravity of the weight is removed from theaxis of rotation of the weight. Illustrated in the drawings is a ywheeltype weight, mounted such that its center of gravity is removed from theaxis of rotation of the shaft 12. Also disposed in the handle portion 6ibut separated from the battery 8 by a wall 16 is a switch means 18. Inthe Wall 16 are mounted three electrically conductive eyelets 20, 22,and `24. An electrical lead 26 connects the eyelet 20 with the battery 8and the motor 10. The lead 26 includes a diode 28 which prevents reversecurrent flow through the switch. An electrical lead 30 connects theeyelet 22 with the battery 8. An electrical lead 32 connects the eyelet24 with the motor 10.

The switch 18 includes a secondary coil 34 (FIG. 4) which is connectedto a pair of contact plates 36a, 36b (FIGS. 1, 2, and 4). The switch 18is mounted for rotative motion and may be rotated by movement of a tab38, as by a thumb or finger of an operator. Rotation of the switch 18causes movement of the contact 36a relative to the eyelets 22 and 24,the contact 36h maintaining engagement with the eyelet 20.

A primary coil 40 (FIG. 4) may be disposed in a base or stand member(not shown) for the purpose of inducting a current in the secondary coilfor purposes to be described below.

In operation, the razor is removed from its stand and the tab '38 movedby an operator to rotate switch 18, and thereby the contact 36a to afirst position in which the contact 36a engages the eyelets 22 and 24.In this position, electrical energy from the battery 8' is directed tothe motor 10. Energization of the motor 10 causes rotation of the shaft12 and thereby rotation of the eccentrically mounted or unbalancedweight 14. The eccentricity of the weight mounting i.e. the displacementof the center of gravity of the weight from the axis of rotation of theweight, and the disposition of the weight proximate to the head portion2 induces vibration of the head portion 2 and therefore the blade 4.Such vibration imparts a slicing motion to the blade 4 whereby tofacilitate ease of cutting.

It is to be understood that in describing the movement of the head theterm vibration is intended in a broad or general sense, including arapid movement in various directions, as for example a gyratory motionor other such motions which may not be included in some technical orrestrictive interpretations of the term vibration.

After completion of a shaving operation, the tab 38 is switched to asecond position in which the contact 36a engages the eyelet 22 only.Such arrangement interrupts the circuit of the motor .10 but, inasmuchas the contact 36h continues engagement with the eyelet 20, operates tomaintain a circuit interconnecting the secondary coil 34 and the battery8. The switch 118, and thereby the secondary coil 34, is then placed inthe magnetic iield of the primary coil 40 whereby to charge the battery8.

Referring to FIG. 3, it Will be seen that the handle portion `6 of therazor includes convergent resilient walls 42 which operate to grip thebattery 8 and retain the battery therebetween. In assembling of thehandle, a compressive member 44, having projections 416, operates toforce the walls 42 toward each other, whereby to iirmly clamp thebattery '8 therebetween. The handle portion 6 may be of molded plasticin which case the walls 42 may be molded integrally with the handle 6,as shown in FIG. 3.

It is to be understood that the present invention is by no means limitedto the particular construction herein disclosed and/or shown in thedrawings, but also comprises any modifications or equivalents within thescope of the disclosure.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. Razor means comprising a head portion for mounting cutting meansthereon, a handle portion connected to said head portion at one end ofsaid handle portion, an electric motor tixed to said handle portion forinducing movement of said cutting means, said handle portion beingadapted to receive a battery and having means for electricallyconnecting said battery to said motor, said handle portion having as aunitary portion thereof resilient wall means for gripping said battery,and wedge means for urging said resilient wall means into firmengagement with said battery.

2. The invention according to claim 1 in which said handle portion is ofmolded plastic and said wall means 4 comprises a pair of convergentresilient walls molded integrally with said handle portion, and saidwedge means comprises a member having projections which operate to urgethe resilient walls into clamping engagement with said battery disposedtherebetween.

3. A safety razor comprising a head portion for mounting cutting meansthereon, a handle portion connected to said head portion at a rst end ofsaid handle portion, an electric motor `fixed to said handle portion, ashaft rotatable by said motor and extending from said motor towards saidiirst end, said handle portion being adapted to receive a battery andhaving means for electrically connecting said battery to said motor,clamping means cornprising resilient wall means unitary with said handleportion for retaining said battery, wedge means for urging saidresilient Wall means into clamping engagement with said battery, and aweight connected to said shaft and r0- tatable by said shaft, saidweight being disposed proximate to said rst end of said handle portion,said Weight being eccentrically mounted whereby upon rotation to inducevibration of said head portion.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,054,418 9/19361 Bohm 30-453,181,974 5/1965 Barbera 136-173 FOREIGN PATENTS 344,639 3/1960ISwitzerland 30--Dig. 1

ROBERT C. RIORDON, Primary Examiner U.S. C1. X.R. 136-173

